Conrad Comes Home
by Nienna Nir
Summary: Conrad has returned to Covenant Castle and must come to terms with the consequences of appearing to be a traitor and what his actions have done to the people he cares for most. Rated for violence.


The silvery shimmer of a million stars cast their light on the gardens of Covenant Castle. It had grown late and only a single window remained lit, a lone figure outlined in the lamplight as he stood, gazing out over the grounds.

Conrad Weller stood before the window of his study feeling both restless and unimaginably tired. Yesterday he had been a traitor standing against his own people in the service of their enemy King Belar. Today he was once more in the castle he had called home all his life, among his family and comrades and in the service of his king as if nothing had happened. It was almost as if all had been forgiven.

If only he could forgive himself.

He had so missed this place. From the window of his study he could see all the secret spots he and Wolfram had played as children, his mother's rose garden, the lawn where his father had given him fencing lessons, even the yard where Gwendal had first taught him to ride a horse. So many memories.

He was jarred from his musings by a knock at his door. Conrad sighed, his eyes closing for only a moment as if to compose himself. "Enter," he called.

"Günter asked me to bring these to you," Yozak stood in the doorway, his hand firmly gripping the latch as he held out a scroll. "We've had some disquiet on the borders, he thought you should have a look."

"Leave it on my desk," Conrad answered, barely glancing over his shoulder. "I'll be sure to look at it before I retire."

"Goodnight, Lord Weller," There was an almost imperceptible flutter and Conrad turned just enough to see the scroll flying through the air and landing neatly in the center of his desk as Yozak began to close the door.

"Do you have something to say to me?" Conrad asked, his voice even, he did not so much as flinch as the door swung open again.

"No," Yozak answered simply, his accusing gaze boring into his childhood friend.

"I'm sorry if you were injured when you fell," Conrad said softly, turning back toward the window, hiding his face from view.

"I didn't fall, you pushed me," Yozak replied tersely. "And if you think this has anything to do with that, then you're a fool."

"It would not be the first time," he murmured, closing his eyes.

"I want to know what you were thinking, why you didn't confide in anyone." Yozak persisted. "Why you didn't at least give us some indication of your plans!"

"I did," Conrad countered. "You must have figured it out or you would not have shown up with reinforcements!"

"I figured it out," he pressed on angrily. "When I woke up at the bottom of that ravine and I wasn't dead! If you were truly a traitor nothing could have stopped you from killing me. You had me at a disadvantage."

"Yozak," he shook his head sadly.

"Yuri insisted that there was some explanation for it all." Yozak snarled. "I thought he must be right but there isn't, is there? The very least you might have done was told me."

"I was being watched," Conrad answered heavily. "I could not risk it. No one from the Demon Tribe had been invited to the tournament. I never expected to see any of you there, much less to be pitted against His Majesty."

"Were you being watched in the Cimarron countryside when you warned us off the path?" Yozak demanded angrily. "When you told your king you were his enemy? Tell me _old friend_, just what it was that prevented you from revealing your plans then." Conrad winced as if in pain but he didn't answer. He had miscalculated, oh he had misjudged everything. And now it all seemed so clear. He should have, but he hadn't.

He caught the swiftness of motion out of the corner of his eye and managed to sidestep just as Yozak's fist punched the air where his head had been only a moment before. Yozak's free hand grasped hold of the front of his shirt but he hadn't the heart now to fight back. This time the spy did not miss and Conrad felt his teeth rattle in his jaw as his neck snapped back and the taste of blood in his mouth.

"If you could have seen how Yuri mourned for you," Yozak shouted angrily, shaking Conrad by his shirt collar. "How the loss of you devastated him, how it wounded your family, even Wolfram. And then to see you disgraced as a traitor! Do you know that Gwendal offered to be punished in your stead? But Yuri wouldn't hear of it. Have you any idea how crushed he was at your betrayal?" Yozak's fist flew again, connecting with his nose with a sickening crunch. Conrad clutched at Yozak's arm to steady himself as stars danced before his eyes. He braced himself as he heard more than saw the punch aimed at the side of his head.

"You swore your oath to him," Yozak eyes flamed with rage as he spat the words out, shaking Conrad like a rag doll. "I once trusted your oath above all others. You persuaded me to follow him and then you abandoned him! He believed in you, even in the face of your disloyalty, If you could have heard the excuses he made for you! Have you any idea the pain you caused? You're nothing but a burden to him now! A king, especially one so young, needs men of honor he can rely on. How can any of us trust you now?"

"Yozak," both men froze at the sound of the youthful voice and the spy turned his head slowly toward the door, his fist still raised in the air to land another blow. Yuri stood, framed in the doorway in his bare feet, his hair tussled and his pajamas wrinkled, gazing at them both with sad eyes.

"Please stop," his voice was a bit unsteady and far less than imposing but Yozak released his childhood friend as if he had grasped hold of a hot iron. Conrad stumbled a moment before regain his feet as Yozak back-peddled increasing the distance between them.

"I never thought to return here," Conrad said hoarsely, wiping his bloody nose on the back of his hand as he stared pleadingly at Yozak. "I could think of no other way to take the boxes from Big Cimarron except at the cost of my life. You already thought me dead. I could not ask you to mourn me twice." Yuri crossed the room on silent feet, watching both of them as if he expected them each to explode at any moment.

"Yozak, I," he paused, taking a deep breath. "I wondered if you could do something for me."

"Anything, Your Highness," the spy replied, his own voice faltering slightly.

"I was wondering," Yuri began tentatively, running his fingers nervously though his hair. "If you could forgive Conrad. I still need him. I need both of you. I can't do this on my own, I'm not ready to be a real king yet."

"He's right, Your Majesty," Conrad said with a sigh. "I'm a liability now. You cannot have a traitor in your midst. It weakens your position both at home and abroad."

"I have to," Yuri insisted almost helplessly. "Conrad, you're my friend. If I can't forgive you, how will we ever have peace? If the humans and the Demon Tribe are ever to live together then there will be a lot to forgive on both sides. We can't keep holding grudges. If we can't forgive one of our own then how will the humans ever believe that we'll forgive them? Yozak, I know it's a lot to ask right now, but we have to start somewhere. Please." Yozak gaped at him for a long moment, unable to speak. He swallowed hard before glancing at Conrad out of the corner of his eye. The Lion of Lütenberg was staring back at him misty eyed.

"I can try, Your Majesty," Yozak nodded almost imperceptibly. Yuri gave him a funny half smile. He glanced back at Conrad again, the Captain looked as if he had been bested in a bar brawl, the picture was almost comical. Yozak smiled back at Yuri, bowing.

"Goodnight, Your Highness," his eyes met Lord Weller's once more and he hesitated only slightly before nodding. "Conrad."

"Goodnight Yozak," Conrad answered as the spy crossed the room, slipping out the door.

"Your nose is still bleeding," Yuri pointed out, shifting closer to Conrad.

"Your Majesty," Conrad began.

"I asked you not to call me that, Godfather." Yuri insisted.

"Oh Yuri," Conrad's shoulders sagged. "I never meant for you to know any of this. Not until it was all over and the boxes were secure in Covenant Castle. I meant to protect you from unnecessary worry and distraction but it all went wrong and I couldn't find a way to fix it."

"I don't think you can protect me from that," Yuri said practically. "I mean, isn't that what being a king is? All this stuff to worry about? If you can't trust me to do the right thing, then what sort of king am I?" Conrad closed his eyes as he turned away, a single tear trickling down his cheek.

"You're right," he answered heavily, he turned to look at his young king with a wounded expression. He crossed the distance between them in two strides and knelt before him, hanging his head. "For the grief I've caused and for my lapse in judgement, Your Majesty... Yuri, I am so very very sorry."

"Conrad, please don't do that." Yuri insisted uncomfortably. "Just get up and promise me that no matter what, you'll always tell me the truth." Conrad rose reluctantly to his feet, staring at his king as if he had never seen him before.

"It will be a painful promise to keep," Conrad answered softly. "For both of us."

"Yeah," Yuri shrugged. "But it's either that or I'm going to have to let Yozak hit you again." Conrad let slip a chuckle, grasping Yuri's shoulder affectionately. The Demon King's only response was wrap both arms around his chest in a fierce hug.

"I'm glad you're home, Conrad" he stated simply.

"Yuri, I swear," Conrad answered. "I will never keep the truth from you again."

"Good," Yuri replied. "Because Yozak's kind of scary when he's angry."


End file.
